“My mother will go down with me,” said Stephen.
Mrs. Davenant glanced at him nervously.
“And that means Miss Wild Bird, too, I suppose?” remarked Lady Bell.
“If Miss Una will honor us,” said Stephen, with an inclination of the head to Una. “Yes, we shall make quite a family party. You will join us, of course, Jack?”
Jack, who had looked up rather grim at the foregoing, bit his lip.
“I don’t quite know,” he said, gravely.
“Surely you will not let the poachers have all the birds this year, Jack!” said Stephen, brightly. “Besides my mother will be quite lost without you.”
“Do come, Jack,” whispered Mrs. Davenant.
“I’ll see,” said Jack, grimly, and Una looked down uneasily; she understood his reluctance to go to the old place.
“Oh, we will take no refusal,” said Stephen, buoyantly. “And what are your plans, Lady Bell?”